Spring 2013 Trends: Overalls

I'm loving this spring trend: the classic overall. Some might say they're a bit too childish, but I digress. I think overalls are a fresh take on all this denim/chambray madness that has been going on in the past couple of years. Throw on a checkered button down and some tan leather boots, and you've instantly got a farm girl look to your outfit. Or, perhaps if you're wanting to go for a more refined version, pair these bad boys with them up with a boatneck 3/4 sleeves and tights. You can play up the colors to your liking as well--opt for darker colors if you want to have more contrast for a night time outfit, and lighter colors as the weather gets warmer.  Even a plain white tee can look stunning with these overalls--however if you want to avoid looking like you've just stepped out from a playground, I'd suggest you to avoid wearing sneakers or canvas shoes--try something with a heel or platform. I think this trend with transition over nicely to summer and even fall, what do you think? 

Sincerely,

Jenny a.k.a. goodwillgrrl

P.S. If you love food (who doesn't?), feel free to check out my cooking / food blog, mdfrmscrtch! I promise there will be tons of lovely, mouthwateringly delectable recipes on it :9

Outfit Dissection No. 1: Natalie

Since I'm trying to liven up my very stark-looking blog with more fancy images and things, I've provided you all with an outfit dissection today. I drew this from my imagination, so excuse the limited color range--I tend to wear only a couple shades of grey and black in real life (it's far more practical / I'm going for that minimalist chic look) but perhaps by experimenting with color through my silly drawings on this blog, I'll someday venture into the technicolor world of bold color blocking and pastel denim. Sigh. 

Let's call this girl Lucille, or maybe Madeline. I don't know, I guess she's French because both those names are pretty fancy-sounding in my book. So, Lucille is sporting a nice down puffer vest in the shade of tangerines slightly past their prime. Quick DIY: Hack the sleeves off your lightweight uniqlo / patagonia nano puff jacket and voilà, there you have it. Beneath her sleeveless grody orange puffer jacket vest, she layers a very breezy and washed out grungy lilac flannel button down (throwback to the nineties!). Natalie (whoops, sorry I changed her name again) also dons a pair of cut-off high-waisted denim shorts embellished with tiny daisies. She adorns her right wrists with a stack of chunky gold and silver bracelets and bangles--striking a purposefully imbalance with a lone yellow golden band on her other wrist. Whoever said to never mix gold and silver jewelry together was clearly wrong--if French Natalie can do it, so can you. 

Natalie has fashioned her thick, soot black hair into a nice lumpy braid which delicately slouches over her right shoulder. She wears some OTK (over the knee, or more like over the thigh) socks made out of some natural textile... wool, perhaps? The socks have intricate cable-knit patterns on them, but that was too time consuming to illustrate so bear with me and use your imagination here. Natalie finishes off her look with an elegant black belt (presumably thrifted from a Goodwill) and some plain, yet classic suade suede Mary Janes. I apologize once again, for the misspelling in the illustration--it's S-U-E-D-E, not S-U-A-D-E. She tops off her entire ensemble with a mustard knit beanie, and there you have it, outfit dissection no. 1.

Sincerely, 

Jenny a.k.a. goodwillgrrl